Shelter Dog May Have Cancer

by Kathleen
(Wake Forest, NC )

I am thinking of adopting a sweet five year old English Setter from my local no-kill shelter. I saw her today and she is very thin. They have treated her for heartworms and she has had two treatments/antibiotics to rid her of parasites.

Her eyes looked clear and she was up moving around and did not appear ill. The last dog I adopted from this shelter died within l l/2 years from intestinal cancer.

Please advise...are there blood tests that can be used to evaluate whether this dog has cancer or other serious conditions? Do you think this dog has a good chance to recover from parasites and become healthy, return to a good weight, etc.?

Thank you,

Kathleen

Comments for Shelter Dog May Have Cancer

Hi Kathleen,How wonderful for you to adopt a dog from the shelter and give him a good home! It sounds like the shelter has done the best they can at this point to give him a chance to improve his health.

Also, the treatment for heartworm is pretty harsh on the system. The drug that is used is a derivative of arsenic. And some of the symptoms of heartworms is weight loss. If they treated him for heartworm, I would ask if they also did a full blood panel on him, to include CBC, Chemistry, Thyroid panel plus the follow-up (NEGATIVE) heartworm test and (NEG) fecal. The only other test I would suggest to make sure his heart is ok, is a chest x-ray at a local veterinary clinic. If the shelter has not done a complete blood panel, then the local veterinary clinic could also do this test.

While it does not specifically test for 'cancer', it does make sure the white blood cells are normal, there is no anemia, and the scan of the white and red blood cells are very indicative of good health. If any abnormal cells are seen in a scan of the blood, on the CBC, then more intensive testing may be done, such as lymph node aspirates, etc.

I think there is a very good chance that he will gain his weight back, and live a long life.

You can ensure that he will be able to attain the best health, with minimal vaccinations, excellent diet, and minimal exposure to toxic flea and tick products by locating a holitsic veterinarian. Check out our website to find one in your area: http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/dog-vet-care.html.

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DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

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Disclaimers: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a pet owner/site visitor and his/her local veterinarian(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified professional.

In the spirit of full
disclosure, we wanted to let you know that we proudly support this
website through advertising and affiliate marketing. In other words,
when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we
often earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep
the site up and running and to continue offering it completely free of
charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and
advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or
affiliate relationship. Click
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